News: CMS posts value-based purchasing final rule

CDI Strategies, May 12, 2011

A mandate of the Affordable Care Act, CMS’ value-based purchasing (VBP) program will begin in fiscal year 2013, applicable to discharges occurring as of October 1, 2012, according to the program final rule and related fact sheet released Friday, April 29. An estimated $850 million is expected to be allocated to hospitals based on their performance on a series of quality measures pertaining to:

Acute myocardial infarction

Pneumonia

Surgical Care Improvement

Healthcare-associated Infections

The fact sheet also outlines the finalized VBP measures for fiscal year 2014 which include:

Some believe the VBP will skew reimbursement and hurt those hospitals which treat severely ill patients, according to an article in AIS Health Reform Week. HHS, however, says the program will reward hospitals for the quality of care they provide to people with Medicare and help reduce healthcare costs.

“Under this initiative, Medicare will reward hospitals that provide high-quality care and keep their patients healthy. It’s an important part of our work to improve the health of our nation and drive down costs. As hospitals work to improve their performance on these measures, all patients – not just Medicare patients – will benefit,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

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